2017 Rucker Fire (Chiricahua Mountains)

[jonathanpatt]

This hasn't made it onto InciWeb, but as of 10 AM this morning was at 117 acres and I've been seeing smoke plumes intermittently for the past few hours. It looks to be in Rucker Canyon between the confluences of Red Rock Canyon and the North Fork of Rucker Canyon.

https://ein.az.gov/emergency-informatio ... re-updates (last fire on the page)

[jonathanpatt]

As of the 10 AM update today, all trails in the Chiricahuas south of Rustler Park, and "all roads south of Turkey Creek and Rustler Park, Cave Creek Road to Herb Martyr Campground" are under a temporary closure order.

https://ein.az.gov/emergency-informatio ... -updates-0

[jonathanpatt]

The Rucker Fire is now on InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5236/

[SkyIslandHiker]

As of the 10 AM update today, all trails in the Chiricahuas south of Rustler Park, and "all roads south of Turkey Creek and Rustler Park, Cave Creek Road to Herb Martyr Campground" are under a temporary closure order./quote]

A closure correction was included in an afternoon Wildfire Update from the Coronado National Forest:

Closures: Temporary closures are going into effect to protect public safety and allow fire suppression activities to continue in a safe manner. The following will be temporarily closed until further notice: all trails south of Southfork, trails out of West Turkey Creek, trails South of Rustler Park, and road 74E are closed.

[jonathanpatt]

Still kind of an ambiguous closure to me. Does "south of Southfork" mean south of the South Fork Road/Trailhead, or south of the South Fork Trail where it connects to the Crest? Does that include the Greenhouse Trail, Herb Martyr Trail and Snowshed Trail, which are south of the latitude of Rustler Park but don't start from it (but do connect into the Crest south of Rustler)?

Hopefully, with the fire mostly smoldering and creeping today, and 61% contained as of this evening's update, the closure won't remain standing long enough to require too many people to try and interpret it.

[SkyIslandHiker]

Trails have re-opened according to this morning's Wildfire Update from the Coronado National Forest:

Closures: A temporary closure is in effect to protect public safety and allow fire suppression activities to continue in a safe manner. NFS Road 74E (Rucker Canyon) will be closed until July 15, 2017 or until rescinded. Trails will remain open in the area but please use caution in areas near fire activity.